Paper Making Week of January 9-13
Activity:Make paper using recycled paper.
Goal:To learn the art of paper making by recycling used paper and realize that many things can be recycled and reused.
Supplies:Large tub, such as a plastic dishpan, blender, plastic buckets, mold and deckle, strainer or colander, jars for storing excess pulp, recycled paper, large sheet of plastic or plastic table covering, kitchen cloths, felt, and a sponge to mop up spills.. All supplies will be in the shed.
How to Proceed:
The art of paper making has a long and interesting history. The following procedures given are simplified versions of traditional methods. Once basic paper making is understood, one can make many beautiful papers using plant materials and flowers. With some skill and creativity, sheets of paper can become works of art.
Making pulp:If using recycled paper, be sure to remove all traces of glue and take out staples. You will need to soak the paper prior to your lesson. The kids can tear up the paper into squares to help them understand the whole process (you can leave the extra torn paper in the shed for another class)..
- Tear the paper into small squares, about 1 inch.
- Put the torn paper in a bucket of water and let it soak for at least 2 hours.
- Put batches of the paper into a blender, making sure there is plenty of water--about 1/3 pulp with 2/3 water.
- Fill a rectangular plastic tray with about 2 inches of water and pour in a blender full of pulp. The amount of the pulp in the water will determine the thickness of the sheet of paper.
- As sheets of paper are made, keep refilling the plastic tray with pulp, and water if necessary.
Making a sheet of paper:
- Spread plastic covering over a table, place a layer of felt, and a kitchen cloth between the plastic and felt.
- Give the pulp a good stir and place the mold so that the mesh is face up, and put the deckle on the top. Grip the two firmly, holding them by the shorter edge.
- Slip the mold and deckle at an angle into the pulp mixture, then straighten them up so that they lid flat beneath the surface of the liquid.
- Keeping the mold and deckle level, pull them straight up out of the liquid. Hold the mold and deckle level--the water will drain back through the mesh.
- Gently shake the mold and deckle backward and forward, and side to side. This will help the fibers settle and mesh together.
- Take the deckle off the mold. Put one edge of the sheet of paper on the kitchen cloth and gently press the sheet of paper onto the felt. This is called "couching". Sponge off excess water.
- Put another piece on kitchen cloth or interfacing over the finished sheet and continue. You can layer several sheets.
- To keep paper flat when dried, press between 2 laminated boards. Layer with felt to absorb moisture. .You may take the presses to the class to dry. At most put 10 papers in a press. When dry return press to the shed.
Papermaking Photo Tutorial
1. A large vat is filled with water and paper pulp. The mold and deckle is used to scoop up the pulp to form a sheet. / 2. When the water has run off, the deckle is lifted carefully from the mold.3. The sheet is couched onto felt, sponging to remove excess water. / 4. The mold is lifted to reveal a sheet of paper, ready to be pressed and dried.